Mason Greenwood has impressed on loan at Getafe from Manchester United (Picture: Getty)
La Liga president Javier Tebas says he hopes to see Mason Greenwood extend his stay in Spain beyond the end of the season.
In January 2022, Manchester United academy product Greenwood, 22, at the time regarded as one of the top young players in European football, was arrested on suspicion of rape, controlling behaviour and assault – charges which were later dropped.
The club decided Greenwood should resume his career elsewhere and the England international subsequently completed a season-long loan switch to Getafe last September.
Despite widespread criticism of the move in Spain and incessant jeers from rival supporters, Greenwood has excelled in the pitch for Getafe, scoring seven goals in 25 appearances in all competitions.
Greenwood’s outstanding performances have reportedly attracted the attention of both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid and it’s understood the forward would be keen to remain in Spain, rather than return to United next season.
It remains to be seen what the immediate future holds for Greenwood, but it appears La Liga chief Tebas would be more than happy for the attacker to stay put and carve out a career for himself in Spain.
‘I am a lawyer, if someone has come out of a legal case innocent, there is nothing to say. He is innocent,’ he said.
The England forward has scored seven goals in 25 games for Getafe (Picture: Getty)
‘He is another great player, maybe the circumstances didn’t make it easy for him to come but he is doing really well in Getafe as a player and I hope he continues to be successful and he continues to stay in Spanish football.
Reputation means you should respect the legal decisions and I am a lawyer so I cannot accept any people that concerned him in the press. You have to respect the legal decisions.
‘If Greenwood came off as innocent and wasn’t condemned [convicted], there is no more to talk about. In Spain, we have had other cases.
Tebas hopes to see Greenwood extend his stay in La Liga (Picture: Getty)
Tebas added: ‘We can’t be judges for everything, we can’t just say, “You can’t play here”, because we would have empty teams.
‘If somebody has been acquitted, you cannot do anything about it.’
When told that Greenwood’s case didn’t actually go to trial, but that the charges were dropped, Tebas replied: ‘Well, he wasn’t condemned, so I don’t care.’
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Getafe president Angel Torres has made no secret of his desire for Greenwood to join the club on a permanent basis in the summer.
‘He is very comfortable in Madrid and he’s crazy about the idea of staying another year,’ he told Spanish radio station COPE.
‘It’s a question for them United, they have to decide if he goes back there.’
On the suggestion that United may not want Greenwood back, Torres replied: ‘No, and there is a market for him in Spain, but it depends on money. It depends on Manchester United.’
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